While the girls were sitting behind the bushes, trying to keep as quiet as possible, Pinkie Pie pulled out a cookie from her hair. As she casually ate her cookie, she focused on watching the animatronic chicken. It was a mystery as to how Pinkie Pie always had some sort of sugary treat in her hair. But the girls had learned that it was best not to question her. Just as Rainbow Dash got up and started to walk to another bush, she tripped over a rock. That sent her flying towards Pinkie Pie.

“Pinkie, watch out!” shouted Rainbow Dash as she tumbled into her party friend.

Pinkie Pie fell, making her toss her half-eaten cookie towards Chica. When the sugary treat touched the grass behind the chicken animatronic, it set off a small explosion. The explosion sent a small amount of dirt and glass up into the air, which in turn made the animatronic turn around. Pinkie Pie gulped as she saw the red eyes bore into her.

‘That’s just great, Dash. So much for our sneak attack,” groaned Sunset Shimmer as she started to dart after Chica.

Rainbow Dash got up and ran after Sunset Shimmer. She was careful not to use her geode as much. She had noticed a few sparks flying out from it every once in a while when she used it. Considering that her geode had gotten made of magic, she figured that the sparks had to be made of magic as well. That had never happened before. Then again, she and the girls hadn’t used their geodes this much before. She assumed the magic sparks were from their recent usage of their geodes.

Chica, seeing the redhead chasing after her, started to run in the opposite direction. Her legs creaked and groaned beneath her every step, clearly not used to the mechanics of running. Every time her feet hit the pavement, it cracked and split underneath her, making loud snapping noises in the process. The footprint cracks made an easy trail for Sunset and the girls to follow.

“Come on! Let’s get this fucking robot chicken before anyone else gets hurt,” shouted Rainbow Dash as she ran towards Sunset and Chica.

The rest of the girls followed Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash as they chased down Chica. As the robotic chicken took a sharp left, Sunset followed right behind her. Her boots scraped across the pavement as she skidded briefly to stop herself from running into a wall. She resumed her chase of the animatronic, not wanting to lose sight of it. Just as she managed to get within a few feet of Chica, a rainbow-colored blur shoved right past her. That made her lose her balance, sending her tumbling into a pile of trash bags.

Applejack caught up just in time to see Sunset Shimmer get sent flying into the pile of trash bags. She offered the redhead a hand in getting up. Once she was on her feet, she saw her look up at her. She figured it was because she wanted to thank her. Yet, her friend went silent soon afterward, most likely because she saw the disappointment and anger she still felt towards her. Looking away, she continued after Rainbow Dash, wanting to help her friend.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to say something as she saw Applejack run off, but she couldn’t. She saw the anger and disappointment in her green eyes, which dug at her.it was understandable after what she had said the night before. The distressed look Twilight Sparkle gave her still remained in her mind. But that didn’t mean it didn’t sting to see her friends avoid her because of her mistake. Soon after her friend disappeared around a corner, she saw Twilight run past, avoiding her gaze. Sighing, she said nothing and continued her chase after Chica.

“Guess they hate me. Can’t say I blame the girls, though. Twilight was hurt,” thought Sunset Shimmer as she joined the rest of her friends in a dead-end alleyway.

“Yes, yes, she was. You better start telling the truth,” interjected Sunset’s conscience, annoying her.

Rainbow Dash had managed to trap Chica in an alleyway. Or at least she thought she had. But Chica, despite her size and having wings, was a surprisingly good climber. She managed to scale the wall at the end of the alley, making a beeline for the playground on the other side of it. The most shocking part was that its joints were old, very old. Yet, they were surprisingly functional. Rainbow Dash climbed up onto a dumpster, staring over the wall. She watched as Chica stopped at the playground, thinking she was safe.

Once Chica was there, a young girl that appeared to be around the age of six approached her. She was curious about the big yellow chicken that was standing around the playground. It was an odd sight, to say the least. As she got closer to the chicken, she saw the full extent of its height. It towered over her like a skyscraper, making the girl stop walking.

“What are you?” asked the little girl.

On the side of the wall, Rainbow Dash jumped down from the top of the dumpster she was standing on. She saw her friends approaching her, finally having caught up to her. As she focused on her friends, she hoped the little girl could keep Chica occupied for a while.

“Finally, what took you guys so long?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“We don’t all have super speed, Dash,” said Applejack as she approached her. “Did you see where our haywire chicken ran off to?”

Rainbow Dash nodded, pointing to the wall behind her. “It jumped over that wall and is in the playground on the other side.”

With that, Applejack climbed on top of the dumpster Rainbow Dash had previously been standing on. She held out a hand for her friends to give them a lift over the wall. The first to go over the wall was Fluttershy, followed shortly by Pinkie Pie. The next one to go over the wall was Rarity, who was hesitant to get on the dumpster. As she grabbed Applejack’s hand, she pushed herself on top of the dumpster. The feeling of strong hands gripping her waist made her legs go wobbly for a few seconds.

“Are you okay, Rare?” asked Applejack as she tightened her grip, making the fashionista blush.

“Y-yes, AJ,” replied Rarity, trying to keep her composure. “Just lost my balance for a moment.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in annoyance. She didn’t want to be standing there, listening to her friends flirt with each other. Not when they had a robotic chicken to hunt down. Getting onto another dumpster, she made her way on top of the wall. She walked over to where Rarity and Applejack were. Being careful not to lose her balance, she held out a hand for her friend.

Rarity, trying to ignore her disgust at the fact she was standing on top of a dumpster, took Rainbow Dash’s hand. She managed to get one foot on top of the concrete wall. But just as she was about to place her other foot on the wall, she lost her footing. As her shoe scraped downward, she fell. She quickly made a diamond shield before her back could hit the lid of the dumpster.

“Oh my, this smells horrid,” said Rarity as she got to her feet again.

She made another attempt at climbing over the wall. This time, she didn’t lose her footing and was able to make her way to the other side. She climbed down, joining Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy as she waited for the rest of the girls to join them.

Sunset Shimmer was the last one to go as Twilight Sparkle insisted she go before she did. Watching Twilight climb over the wall, she forced herself to not give in to her guilt. At least not until after they had caught Chica. She grabbed Applejack’s hand, letting herself get pulled on top of the dumpster. The smell was horrid, as Rarity had mentioned. Yet, she didn’t seem to care. Once Applejack made her way to the other side, she had gotten helped to the top of the wall. Just as she was about to get down, she felt a hard tug on her jacket sleeve.

“You know, AJ told me what Twilight had said to her. I say you have to tell her about you being an alpha bitch and the whole raging she-demon thing.” hissed Rainbow Dash, glaring at Sunset.

Sunset Shimmer yanked her jacket sleeve out of Rainbow Dash’s hand. She looked away from her, gripping her right arm. It wasn’t easy to hear her friend mention what happened at the Fall Formal. Let alone call her past an ‘alpha bitch.’ Though looking back, she figured that was an accurate description of her behavior and demeanor.

“Dash, leave me alone. I know I’ve hurt her, okay? But what can I do?” mumbled Sunset, digging her nails into her leather jacket.

“Admit who you used to be. Let Twilight know how much you have changed.” Rainbow Dash said as if it was the easiest thing to do.

Sunset Shimmer’s hand trembled as she fought against her anger, which was slowly building. There was a small desire to punch Rainbow Dash. But she pushed it aside, taking a deep breath. Pushing her friend would do no good, even if it would alleviate her anger at being yelled at for keeping her past a secret.

“Rainbow...it isn’t that easy. I am...scared,” admitted Sunset through gritted teeth.

Rainbow Dash was surprised, even a little shocked by what she heard. It was the first time she had ever heard Sunset Shimmer admit to being scared. That was very unusual for the redhead, to say the least. Sure, it was one thing for her to be angry or frustrated. That was something she was known for, especially in her bully days. But being scared? The idea that she could be was strange. But not something that couldn’t happen. Acknowledging that, Rainbow Dash’s expression softened.

“Scared? Scared of...what exactly?” asked Rainbow Dash.

Sunset Shimmer hesitated. “Scared of… losing… Twilight.” Her voice barely stayed above a whisper as she continued. “I am scared that she’ll change how she sees me if she knew how awful I was.”

Rainbow Dash looked at Twilight Sparkle as she tried to keep Pinkie Pie from exposing them to Chica. She could see why Sunset Shimmer was afraid of losing her. Whenever she looked at Sunset, there was a light in her eyes. As if something about her redheaded friend brought out whatever was buried deep in Twilight. Only lately, it seemed that the light was shrouded in sadness.

“Sunset-”

“What?” asked Sunset, looking at her polychromatic friend.

“You should tell her. And not just because I said so. But because of your fear of losing her. Trust her...the way we trusted you after the Fall Formal.” said Rainbow Dash, her hand now resting gently on Sunset’s shoulder.

Hurt. That was the only emotion Sunset Shimmer could feel right now. Rainbow Dash’s words had a hard truth to them. If the girls hadn’t been willing to be there and help her better herself, well...she wouldn’t have met this world’s Twilight. And she certainly wouldn’t have the friends and life she had now. Nor would she have felt the thundering in her chest every time Twilight Sparkle glanced her way.

“You’re right. I will tell Twilight later today after we’ve caught this fucking chicken,” said Sunset.

A wide smirk of amusement appeared on the athlete’s face. “Of course, I am right.” That made Sunset Shimmer roll her eyes in annoyance. “And I agree. Now, let’s go Kentucky fry this KFC wannabe.”

With that, both Sunset Shimmer and Rainbow Dash jumped down and joined their friends. They saw that Chica, to their utter surprise, was still somehow distracted by the little girl. Sunset wasn’t sure if she should be impressed or worried about the girl. After all, she was talking to an 8-foot tall metal chicken that could easily kill her.

Unbeknownst to Sunset Shimmer and the girls, Springtrap was watching them. And he was on a mission to figure out what exactly it was that they were up to. After having his way with the puppet and getting nowhere, he was desperate for answers. He remained behind the wall that the girls and Chica had just jumped over. It was far enough away that they wouldn’t notice him with the advantage of him being able to hear and see them. Carefully, he lifted himself slightly over the wall, making sure he caught every word that was getting said.

“Okay, what the fuck are you puny ass school girls doing to those fucking children?” hissed Springtrap.

*** *** *** ***

“So, are we going to ambush this KFC wannabe or what?” asked Rainbow Dash, placing her hands on her hips in impatience.

Twilight Sparkle looked at Rainbow Dash, thankful that Sunset Shimmer was behind her with Rarity in between them. “No, we’re not going to ambush the animatronic.” She pushed her glasses up to the bride of the nose. “If we do that, the girl next to her could be injured or worse…”

Sunset Shimmer closed her eyes, pushing the gory images of Jeremy and Fritz’s deaths out of her mind. She had enough to worry about as it was. And enough guilt to make her nauseous as well. For now, she had to focus on helping her friends catch the loose animatronic. That meant putting off telling Twilight Sparkle the truth of her past. Not that she minded the delay in doing that. She was quite happy to have a setback.

“No! You said you would tell Twilight. Don’t be a coward and back away now. Not unless you can live never having Twilight acknowledging you.” said Sunset’s inner voice, reminding her what was at stake if she backed out.

“I know…” thought Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight.

Shaking her head, Sunset Shimmer tried to focus on the task at hand. She couldn’t afford to be sidelined by her troubles at the moment.

“Okay, okay! I get it, we don’t need any more dead kids,” said Rainbow Dash, holding her hands up defensively.

Just then, the little girl ran back to her mother. Twilight Sparkle was the first to spot Chica as she started to move on to the playground. As she watched the animatronic lumber around the playground, she noticed that it was a bit...well...dumb. The animatronic chicken, not watching where it was stepping, tripped, and fell on the grass. That made some of the kids who were still on the playground run off, scared by the loud crash.

“Okay, girls, here’s the pla-” Twilight Sparkle was abruptly cut off as Rainbow Dash started to snicker at the sight of the robotic chicken trying to stand up.

Unfortunately for the girls, Chica overheard their friend laughing. In seconds, the animatronic chicken had managed to get to her feet and bolt away. Sunset Shimmer, being the quickest to get up, bolted after her. But she was soon outdone as Rainbow Dash blurred right past her. Rolling her eyes, she continued after her.

Meanwhile, behind the wall, Springtrap let out an exasperated groan. He wasn’t in the mood to be chasing some stupid school girls who had meddled in his private affairs. Nor did he feel like chasing after the big yellow nuisance. Yet, his desire to know what the hell the girls were really up to with the kids was stronger. Jumping over the wall, he pushed past some old trash cans and boxes. He continued trailing the girls, careful to keep some distance between them and him. After all, he didn’t want to be spotted, not when he was close to figuring out what they were doing.

After turning a few corners, dodging a few trash cans that had gotten tossed into their path, and nearly getting Fluttershy with a rogue cat, they finally managed to corner Chica in another alleyway. The wall behind the animatronic was too tall for it to climb, allowing the girls a chance to capture her. And without any trash cans nearby, their safety was also secured. They all slowly approached the animatronic, watching as it stood against the wall with nowhere to run.

Twilight Sparkle placed her hand out in front of her. Seconds later, a light magenta-colored aura surrounded the animatronic. While the aura enveloped the animatronic, it started to fight back. As it tried to pull itself free from the aura, Twilight reached for her geode. Closing her eyes, she focused her energy on her magic. Slowly, the aura surrounded the animatronic.

“Applejack, do you have your lasso?” asked Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to keep Chica under control. “I don’t think I can keep this animatronic under control for much longer.”

Applejack gave Twilight Sparkle an apologetic look. “Sorry, sugarcube. The blasted rabb-I mean Fritz-broke my lasso. I am still waitin’ on my new one.”

That wasn’t what Twilight Sparkle was hoping to hear. As she stood there, fighting against the animatronic, she could feel her strength draining. Holding onto it, it took more magic with every squirm and kick the animatronic chicken made. The idea of having to hold it while Sunset saw its memories wasn’t appealing. Yet, she was the only one who could contain it. Making a decision, she glanced at Sunset.

“Sunset, do you think you can see Chica’s or whoever this is memories while I hold them?” asked Twilight, grounding her feet into the pavement.

“Yeah, I think so...” replied Sunset, avoiding Twilight’s gaze.

“Okay, then start,” said Twilight, her voice devoid of any emotion as if she was afraid to let her feelings show around Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset Shimmer noticed the lack of emotion in Twilight’s voice. It hurt her to hear that. But it didn’t sting as much as knowing that she was causing Twilight pain. Sighing, she glanced up at her, flashing her a small, awkward half-smile. That resulted in Twilight looking away from her. As she looked at her friend, she noticed something...odd. Glancing downward, she saw purple sparks flying from her geode.

“That’s strange… Could us using our geodes be causing them to malfunction?” thought Sunset.

Standing still, Sunset Sparkle nearly missed the wing that was aiming to hit her abdomen. Luckily, she had quick reflexes and managed to dive out of the way. Her body slammed itself against the hard pavement as Sunset Shimmer failed to keep her balance. Groaning, she got up again and walked back to the animatronic chicken. Without acknowledging Twilight, the redhead placed her hand on the hard yellow plastic that covered the animatronic’s endoskeleton. Her eyes flashed white as she started to see the memories of Jeremy’s next friend.

*** *** *** ***

An 11-year-old girl was chasing three boys in front of her. As she ran past a nearby whiteboard, there were three tally marks, marking how many rounds of tag they had played. Running around a table, she could feel her lungs burning with every breath she took. It had gotten so bad that she had to grab a chair and sit down for a moment. No sooner had she sat down, did Fritz come running by. She tried to pull her chair in as quickly as she could, but she wasn’t fast enough. Seconds later, she felt something hit her back chair leg.

“Ow!” She heard Fritz say as she saw him rubbing his knee.

She pulled her chair in and said nothing as she spotted Jeremy walking up to them.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy asked as she focused her attention on her hands.

For a moment, she glanced up at Fritz. She saw him smile his devilish trickster smile. Rolling her eyes in boredom, she returned her focus to her hands. That smile was one she knew all too well. She had seen it many times whenever Fritz had played a prank on her. One that quickly became annoying when he used it often. Sometimes, she had gotten tempted to punch him for even flashing it her way.

“Yeah, and you’re it now!” she heard Fritz shout from behind her.

She snickered as she heard Jeremy groan. Sure, it wasn’t funny when it happened to her. But it was funny when it happened to others. She couldn’t resist seeing it as somewhat amusing. Even if it was sometimes mean.

“Go get him, Fritz.” said the girl under breath, chuckling as she saw Jeremy duck Fritz’s first attempt at tagging Jeremy.

A few more rounds of tag later, she saw Freddy walking towards them with Jeremy’s cake. Getting up, she went to sit next to Jeremy but was beaten to it by Fritz. Letting out a sigh of irritation, she sat back in her original chair. Luckily for her, it was right in front of where Jeremy was sitting.

“Happy Birthday Jeremy!” said Freddy, making her jump in surprise as she heard the sudden noise.

She watched as Freddy approached the table, setting the cake down on the table. Something about the robotic eyes in the animatronic creeped her out. Maybe it was the inhumanness that made them creepy. Or the way they glowed whenever they were in a dark area. Whatever it was, it unsettled her. It was out of support and celebration that she had decided to go to Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stepped foot in the restaurant. Yet, she knew her friend was worth shoving her disgust aside.

“...Happy Birthday to you.” finished Chica.

As the song came to an end, she sighed. The sound of the animatronic chicken’s voice was starting to grind down on her last nerve. How anyone could stand to listen to it was beyond her. If she could, she would’ve shut the animatronic up several lyrics earlier. She watched as Jeremy leaned forward, preparing to blow out his candles when a hook rested on his shoulder.

She looked at the animatronic fox, the one they called Foxy, as he bent down towards Jeremy. “Don’t forget to make your special birthday wish, Jeremy.”

While Jeremy readied to blow his candles, she moved to the side. Thankfully, she had moved in time. Where she had been sitting moments earlier was a small cloud of smoke. It dissipated quickly, allowing her to sit back in her original seat. Covering her mouth, she let out a series of short coughs. The smell of burnt candles was strong but not overwhelming.

After a little while later, she had finished her piece of cake. The sweetness almost made her gag, but otherwise, she did enjoy it. As she glanced over at the trash bins, she saw Fritz standing near them. Looking behind him, she saw a strange goldish glow from a dark hallway. Susie squinted, trying to see whatever the golden object was. But when she blinked, the object disappeared.

Her attention had gotten drawn away when she heard Jeremy shout, “Hey, Fritz, you coming to see the show or what?”

"That was weird, right?" whispered the boy next to her.

"Yeah, it was," she replied.

"What do you think he was staring at?" asked the boy.

"No clue. All I saw was a golden glow before it disappeared the second I blinked," she said, eyeing the show.

She knew what show Jeremy was mentioning. It was the one thing that she didn’t hate about the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Her favorite character was Chica, even if her design was a bit...funky for a chicken. She took one last sip of her water before she decided to join the kids in the stage area. Walking over, she saw the vast crowd that had gathered. It was clear Jeremy wasn’t the only one who enjoyed being here. She sat down in the back, not wanting to be in the front.

The lights dimmed as Freddy, Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica walked onto the stage one by one. Seconds later, they were met with a series of screams as the kids around her cheered for the mascots. She covered her ears, trying to tune out the loud shouts from around her. As the screams died down, she heard them echo in the otherwise quiet room. She eventually pulled her hands away from her ears, thankful that screaming stopped.

‘Yar, har, har, har, me mates! Who’s ready for a pirate adventure with me, Foxy?” asked the pirate as he waved his hook in front of his face.

“We are!” shouted the kids around her, making her cover her ears again.

The pirate fox lifted his hook and said, Well, good. Welcome to the Pirate’s Cove Treasure Hunt.”

As the first song started, she decided to move closer to the stage. With the crowds of kids shouting, it was hard for her to hear the actual song from where she was. After scooting around for a good minute or two, she found a good spot near the back where the kids were a bit quieter. She sat down, leaning her back against the wall, ready to enjoy the show.

Two songs later, she felt something tap her shoulder. She spun around to see a grime-covered Golden Freddy suit behind her. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Something about the black eyeholes staring back at her sent shivers down her spine. Maybe it was because whoever was wearing the suit could be harmful. Or perhaps it was because the suit hid the identity of the mysterious person from her.

“Kid, want a free makeup kit?” asked the figure in their gravelly voice.

She raised her eyebrows at the oddness of the question. She couldn’t tell if the person was legit. But there was also a part of her that wouldn’t let her turn down a free makeup kit. After all, it was free. Plus, makeup was something she was passionate about, mostly because her mother owned a cosmetics company. Though, she wasn’t allowed too much of it. Something about it not being for her or her not being old enough yet.

“It was made especially for you.” She heard the figure say, enticing her even more.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Sure...show me this makeup kit of yours.”

Quietly, she got up, making her way past her mother unnoticed. Once she had slipped past the adults, she continued to follow the person in the Golden Freddy suit until they came to a darkened hallway. That's when she refused to go any further. Mold was growing on the walls and floor, coating them in a layer of blackness. Looking around, she noticed there was also feces from the numerous raccoons and mice that had made their home there. That made her cover her mouth, not wanting to inhale the mold or the feces.

“Ew… where are we?” the girl asked, not moving from her spot. “I don’t want to walk there. This place is too creepy.”

She heard the person growl from within the suit, sounding like an angry animal. That made her aware that this person, whoever they were, may be dangerous.

“We are in the hallway, which leads to the room with your free makeup kit.” said the figure, gritting their teeth in anger.

“Well, can you go get the kit and bring it out? Why do I have to go into this mold-covered abyss?” she asked, stepping back from the figure.

Before she even had time to react, there was a golden hand gripping her arm. Tight enough that a small bruise formed from the contact. She screamed a few seconds before she felt a grime-covered hand cover her mouth. A wave of nausea hit her as whatever coated the costume hand slipped into her mouth. It tasted awful, like a rotten orange.

“Let me go!” she shouted, her voice muffled by the hand covering her mouth.

“Hm, let me think about it.” The person tapped a finger on the costume’s chin. “No, but I will gladly escort you to this deluxe room.” replied the person, their voice dripping heavily with sarcasm.

Moments later, she had gotten shoved into a dark room. As she tumbled down the stairs, slamming her body into the edges on the way down, she had gotten stopped by a metal object. Behind her, she heard the door slam shut, causing her to glance up. That’s when she finally noticed the putrid smell of decaying flesh in the room. She jumped and shuffled away from the smell. Having distanced her from the metal object, she saw that it was the old Golden Freddy animatronic. In the dim light, she saw red streaks of blood running down the yellow plastic of the animatronic.

“Hey! Watch it, will you?” said a voice as she felt her hand rest on something warm.

“Is that Gabriel?” she thought as she tried to recognize the voice.

“S-sorry, Gabe.” She apologized, lifting her hand off of his.

She sat next to her friend, happy that she wasn’t alone in the room. She could feel the coldness of the concrete floor through the fabric of her shorts. It made her shiver as she rubbed her arms. Now she wished she had brought her jacket with her.

“Susie, is that really you?” asked Gabriel.

‘Yeah, it is, you dummy.” she said, playfully punching his arm.

“Yep, definitely you,” said Gabriel. “No one calls me a dummy, but you.”

Susie chuckled for a moment. “So...how did you get trapped in here?”

As soon as she asked the question, she heard Gabriel shuffle away from her. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, “What? Did you get trapped for something stupid?”

“The Purple Guy offered me pizza. I was trapped...for free pizza,” replied Gabriel as he kept his voice low.

“Wait. What? You were trapped for...pizza? Pizza?!” shrieked Susie as she jumped to her feet.

“Yes…”

“Should’ve guessed that was how you got trapped. You think with your stomach rather than your head,” said Susie, sighing.

“And what exactly led to you getting trapped with me?” asked Gabriel.

That question made Susie fall silent. She knew that her reason for being trapped was no better than Gabriel’s. But just as Susie was about to speak, Susie heard the creaking of the door as it opened. She turned to see a shadowy figure standing in the doorway. Their outline looked like Freddy, leading her to believe that it was the same person who kidnapped her. The person walked in for a moment before shoving another kid into the room and closing the door. She figured that the figure was the ‘Purple Guy’ that Gabriel was referencing.

With the door now closed, Susie shifted her attention to the new kid in the room. She noticed that the kid’s hair was spiked upward. Just like Fritz’s hair always. But in the darkness, she couldn’t see the color of their hair. As the kid stepped closer to her, she saw a familiar dog tag that glinted in what little light that filtered into the room. And apparently, Gabriel saw it too as she heard him move closer to her.

“Fritz?” She and Gabriel both asked in unison.

“W-who’s there?” she heard the kid ask, confirming that it was her friend.

“It’s us, you dummy,” Susie said, slapping his arm angrily.

“Ow, that is definitely you, Susie. No one else hits me that hard.” Fritz said.

“And it’s me, Gabriel,” said Gabriel.

“How did you guys get here?” Susie heard Fritz ask as she saw him rubbing the arm she had slapped.

Susie huffed and crossed her across her chest. “Well, I didn’t get here by being tricked with the promise of a free pizza.”

“Hey! I was hungry.” She heard Gabriel shout in his defense.

As she stood there, she heard Fritz move in between her and Gabriel. Just as she lowered her arms, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She was tempted to brush his hand off her but thought otherwise of it.

“Okay, so I know Gabriel got tricked by his stomach. But how did you get tricked, Suze?” asked Fritz, making Susie look away.

Biting her lip, Susie looked down. Susie didn’t want to admit her reason for being trapped. And if Susie was honest, she was kind of grateful that Fritz had interrupted her conversation with Gabriel. Though, Susie reluctantly decided that she had to admit her reason for being lured to the room.

“I was lured in because of...a free makeup kit. One that was made especially for me.”

“Really, Susie? A free makeup kit?” asked Fritz.

“What?! I like wearing makeup,” Susie said, turning her back to him, yanking her shoulder away in the process.

She heard Fritz sigh before saying, “Yeah, okay, whatever you say, Susie.” She heard him fall silent for a moment. “Wait, where’s Jeremy?”

Susie was thinking the same thing. The whole time she had been talking with both Fritz and Gabriel, she had noticed that Jeremy was the only one not amongst them. Just as she started to look around, she saw the door leading to the room open again. In front of the door was a familiar-looking kid with wavy hair. Behind him stood the figure she assumed was the Purple Guy. As the kid started making his way down the stairs, the door slammed shut behind him, the same as before.

“Hey! What are you doing?” She heard Jeremy scream at the door.

She watched as Jeremy turned around and made his way over to the gold-colored animatronic. It was only then that she remembered the putrid smell that emanated from the animatronic. The closer Jeremy got to it, the more her anxiety increased. Swallowing hard, she watched as he tapped the metallic figure.

When the animatronic opened, the foul smell intensified. It burned Susie's throat and eyes as it wafted towards her. She backed away, attempting to distance herself from the smell. But it was no use. She felt a mold-covered brick wall behind her. She jumped forward, not wanting to touch the mold which was growing on the wall. That forced her to look at what lay inside the animatronic. Glancing, she saw something inside. No, not something — someone. It was the girl from their school, the one that had disappeared mysteriously two months ago. Realizing that, it was enough to trigger her gag reflex.

Susie turned around just as the contents of her stomach made their way up her esophagus. Her throat burned as she vomited her pizza and cake. After a few seconds, Susie felt the stream of stomach acid stop. But her stomach churned, and she threw up...again. Finally, after a few minutes of dry heaving, Susie was able to breathe. Slowly, she walked over to Jeremy, still clutching her churning stomach.

“Jeremy!” exclaimed Susie, breaking the silence in the room. “What are you doing here?”

“I was looking for you,” replied Jeremy.

Prying her arms from her stomach, she hugged Jeremy. She was grateful to see he was okay. Though, she had to wonder how long that would last.

“Why did you guys get trapped in here?” asked Jeremy.

Susie gulped, not really in the mood to admit the dumb reason that she got trapped for. It wasn’t that Susie didn’t want to tell him. But saying that she wasn’t interested in Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria was out of the question, especially as it was Jeremy’s birthday. Reluctantly though, she told him everything even if she was embarrassed to admit it.

A few hours of sitting in silence later, the door opened again. This time, it was the Purple Guy in the doorway. There were no new kids with him. That only made Susie worry more. If he didn’t have any new kids, that could mean he had something planned for them.

“Hello, you sniveling hellish brats. Who is ready....to die?” asked the Purple Guy.

She had huddled with her friends, hoping that the protection would keep her safe. Pushing herself against the wall, she helplessly watched as Jeremy tried to get away from the Purple Guy. She and her friends were paralyzed with fear as they watched the figure grab Jeremy’s arm, pulling him away from their group. With tears in her eyes, she watched as their friend left the room for the very last time.

As the door slammed shut, she glanced over at Fritz as the group broke off the huddle. In the dim lighting, she could see that he had huddled into a small ball. His skin was also pale. Paler than his usual tone. He was frightened and cold, as they all were. Seeing that told her he figured he was next to go. That made her wonder if he was right. A voice in the back of her head said it was.

One hour had passed, in which the room had started to grow a bit chilly. Susie was jolted out of her daze when the door opened again. She squinted as her eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden burst of light. Having been in the dark for a while, she had become used to the darkness. But slowly, her vision adjusted and allowed her to see the Golden Freddy costume standing in the doorway. Once again, the Purple Guy made his way down the stairs, walking towards Fritz.

She watched as Fritz walked away weakly, shivering in the process. For a few moments. She saw him look back. In the dim lighting, she saw him mouth the word ‘goodbye.’ Lifting her hand, she gave him a small wave. As she lowered her hand, the door slammed shut, leaving just her and Gabriel in the room. After a few minutes, she turned to Gabriel.

“Am I going to be next?” asked Susie, her voice quivering out of fear.

She saw Gabriel look in her direction.

“Yes,” Gabriel said in a monotone.

Susie heard the lack of emotion in Gabriel’s voice. It startled her to hear or not hear it for that matter. To see him like this was strange, even for him. She looked down, hiding the stray tear that fell down her cheek. Her friend, someone she cared for, seemed not to notice that she was frightened. Let alone care enough to help her feel better.

“Sorry...I didn’t mean to sound so cold,” said Gabriel as if he had been reading her mind.

“I-it’s okay, Gabe. You’re probably just as scared as I am,” said Susie. “And if you tell anyone that I said I was scared, I will deny it.”

“If we survive this, that is,” added Gabriel.

“Yeah, if we survive this…” said Susie, realizing that she could suffer the same fate that befell her other friends.

Sighing, Susie leaned back against the wall. For once, she didn’t care about the mold or the rotting body, which lay a few feet from her. All Susie cared about was the fact that she would never get the opportunity to see her mom again, that she’d never get another possibility to tell her that she loved her. Or have the chance to hang out with her friends anymore. As Susie started to think of her friends, she allowed herself to cry the tears she had been holding back. And once she started, she couldn’t stop.

She sobbed for a half-hour, not caring that Gabriel was next to her. If anything, that only made her sadness grow more as she knew they would eventually get separated from each other. But finally, Susie did manage to stop the flow of tears. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Almost numb from nearly crying her eyes out. Which, in a strange, almost twisted way, made her feel better. Better than she had since she had gotten trapped in the room. She glanced over at Gabriel, noting that he had a jacket on. Scooting closer to him, she braced herself with her hands.

“Hey Gabe, mind if I use your jacket for a pillow?” asked Susie, trying in vain to stifle a yawn.

“No, go ahead,” said Gabriel as he shook off his jacket. “Here you go, Susie.”

Susie took the jacket and balled it into a pillow-like shape. She rested it on the cleanest part of the floor she could find. Resting her hand on it, Susie closed her eyes. As sleep overtook her, she felt her muscles relax. It was calming to have the silence and the dark for the moment. She let her mind wander off, replaying memories to comfort her.

Not long after Susie had managed to get some sleep, the Purple Guy came back in. There was a blood-covered ax in his left hand. The very one that he had used to kill Jeremy and Fritz. Slowly, watching his step, he made his way down the old wooden stairs. He stopped once he was standing over her sleeping her form. A snarl slipped from his lips as his eyes went black. Lifting the ax, he swung it down, hitting Susie's left knee.

Searing pain combined with throbbing brought Susie back to her reality. A guttural scream rang out from her throat as she felt a warm liquid run down her leg. The severity of the pain started to make her dizzy, leaving her unable to see clearly. Her leg moved as she pushed herself upward to a sitting position, causing the pain to increase in the process.

Shaking, she reached out a hand to her injured knee. She felt a deep gash that had gotten chopped into her knee cap. Her hand became covered in blood as she traced her fingers inside the fresh wound. Her hands felt warm and sticky as more of her blood covered it, turning it red in the process. The wound was open enough to allow her to feel the bone and muscle which resided in her body. She screamed out of pain and panic at being able to feel the inside of her. Still, she traced her finger around the wound, her morbid curiosity not letting her pull her hand. She could feel the throbbing of her skin as she ran her finger downward. The sensation was surreal, like holding her heart in her hands.

She slowly pulled her hand away, shaking off some of the blood that was on her hand. Her breathing was shaky as she struggled to cope with the pain. But she didn’t have time to recover when she felt something push against her arm.

“Oh great, you’re awake now. Now, walk you little fucker.” hissed the Purple Guy.

Susie looked up at him, his vision blurring with unshed tears. “How can I walk?! You injured my knee.”

“Oh, come on! I know that you can walk. So, walk!” shouted the Purple Guy, his anger building as he spoke.

Groaning, she attempted to stand on her injured knee. But just as she tried to put some of her weight on the knee, it buckled underneath, sending her back to the floor. Her knee slammed against the concrete floor, sending even more pain throughout her leg. In the fall, she felt her knee scrape across the rough concrete, ripping her skin even more. That elicited another banshee-like scream from her. With the pain increased, Susie started to cry as she couldn’t bear it anymore.

The Purple Guy heard her cries. That angered him enough that he readied the ax. Raising the ax once more, the Purple Guy swung and landed a severe blow to her left ankle. When he heard Susie let out an agonizing scream, he smiled gleefully. To him, the torture of young children was a pleasure he wished to continue.

“‘Okay, you little bitch, I am not going to carry you. So, get up and march up those stairs.” said the Purple Guy as he lifted Susie to her feet.

As Susie felt her weight rest on her injured leg, it took every bit of strength that she could muster not to fall again. Wincing, she took her first shaky step forward. Her ankle and knee screamed in protest to her moving them. As she took another step forward, her ankle twisted. She reached for the railing of the stairs as she struggled to keep her balance. Ignoring the pain in her left leg, she inched her way up the stairs. When she finally reached the door, she had gotten shoved out of the room. She barely managed to catch herself on the moldy wall in front of her.

"Come on, follow me. I want to show you something,” said the Purple Guy as he slammed the door behind him.

Unlike Jeremy and Fritz were, she didn't get led into the room. Instead, she had gotten led to the stage. As she limped towards the main stage, she used the wall for support, forgoing any thoughts about mold or feces. As she got to the end of the hallway leading to the stage, she stopped. The stage itself was dark, with the few minor lights that were nearby, giving it an eerie, ghostly glow. She stepped forward away from the wall, approaching Foxy. Though she was shrouded in limited lighting, she saw fresh blood oozing from every crevice of the animatronic fox. Curious, she touched the plastic, coating her hand in the red liquid.

“What the-is that blood?” asked Susie, staggering back from the animatronic.

The Purple Guy chuckled before saying, “Yes, it’s Jeremy’s blood.”

Susie gasped, horrified. She had just touched the blood of her once alive friend. Looking down at her hand, she was disgusted to find her friend’s blood still clinging to her skin. Out of disgust, she ran her hand along the wall, wiping a series of red streaks onto the moldy wallpaper. Just as she finished doing that, she heard something opening. Looking, she saw that the Purple Guy had opened the back of Foxy.

Now exposed was Jeremy’s body. Wires dug into the ashen skin of her friend, slicing it open and exposing the fleshy innards of his body. His muscles and bones were exposed, the gears and pipes pushing his skin and tissue back. It looked like something that came straight out of a horror movie. As she glanced up at one of the pipes, she saw a piece of bone trapped inside of it. Upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a part of Jeremy’s spine. She covered her mouth, looking shocked by the appalling sight.

“Oh come on, didn’t you enjoy that?” asked the Purple Guy as he took off the costume head, sniffing Jeremy’s blood and licking some of his blood off one of the pipes.

Susie turned her back to the sight of the Purple Guy licking the blood off of the pipe, a gleam of excitement in his eyes. Only to be met with the view of Fritz’s body inside of Bonnie. She could see his body was in similar condition as Jeremy’s was. Wires were slicing through his skin. Gears shoved themselves into his muscles, making his blood the lubricant that kept them moving. Just like with Jeremy, his bones had become exposed, showing that his arms had gotten chopped off. As she shifted her gaze downward, she saw the grounded-up remains of what was Fritz’s arms. She leaned in closer, seeing something white sitting in the mass of muscle and tissue.

“Those are his teeth. I am very proud of how his body handled the new arrangement.” said the Purple Guy, walking towards Susie. “Aren’t you?”

She staggered backward, keeping away from the animatronics and the Purple Guy. She didn’t want to see the sight of her dead friends. Not anymore. Holding a hand over her mouth, she fought against her growing nausea. Just as she was about to run back down the hallway leading away from the stage, she felt a hand grab her wrist.

“Oh, you’re not going back.” said the Purple Guy. “Now, tell me. Did you enjoy the show?”

Susie shook her head. “No...I didn’t. You’re a monster.”

“Well, thank you, dear. You’re quite a little devil yourself.” said the Purple Guy as he set the costume head on the floor.

Susie struggled to free her hand from his grip. But the more she struggled, the tighter he made his grip. And with her leg still hurt immensely from the injuries Susie had suffered earlier, Susie was beginning to lose her strength. Looking down at her leg, she could see that it had become coated in a layer of dried blood.

“Yeah, you’re not going to make it out of here alive.” The Purple Guy started to pull her towards the animatronics. “The only way you are is through one of these.”

“Let me go, you creep!” screamed Susie at the top of her lungs.

That made the Purple Guy chuckle. “Scream all you want. Hell, scream till your throat is raw for all I fucking care. No one will ever hear you now.”

Those words made her stop. All her fighting was for naught – if there was no one to come to her aid, that left little doubt that she was going to die. Still fighting the pain of her leg, she stopped resisting the Purple Guy’s pull. What was the point in resisting anyway? All it would do was slow down her demise. But not enough to buy her time to be saved. And with her leg bleeding, she would likely die from blood loss soon.

“Glad you saw reason. Now, choose the lucky animatronic that will house your body.” said the Purple Guy as he shoved Susie towards Chica and Bonnie.

It took her a moment to process what he had said. She was still dealing with the realization that she was going to suffer the same fate that had befallen her friends. Being 11, she wasn’t ready to accept her death, nor could she accept that her friends had died in horrible ways.

Nonetheless, she glanced at the animatronic chicken first. From behind, the animatronic seemed even creepier. And with the ghostly lighting around them, it didn’t make the creepiness any less scary. She then turned her attention to Freddy. He didn’t look any less disturbing than Chica did, but he did have one thing going for him. And that was the fact that Susie didn’t hate him. At least, not as much as she did the chicken.

Susie was about to protest his choice when she was lifted and laid on his shoulder. Kicking and punching as hard as she could, she tried to make him let go of her. Yet, it was in vain because he just continued on as if Susie was doing nothing to him. It seemed like she was throwing punches that were feather-light. She watched helplessly as her body was brought closer and closer to the chicken animatronic.

“Please, don’t put in that one.” pleaded Susie, trying in vain to stop her imminent demise.

“Too late, you little fucker. You’re going to be in the chicken.” The Purple Guy said, throwing Susie down to the floor.

She screamed as she felt her injured knee and ankle contact with the hardwood of the stage floor. Barely having time to catch herself from falling, she held out hands, hoping to ease the blow. She nearly sprained her wrist, but she managed to catch herself. Adjusting her position, she pulled her injured knee to her chest. She watched as the back of Chica was opened. The yellow plastic squeaked as it had gotten pushed aside, revealing the metal and wires inside. From where she was sitting, she watched as the gears, cables, beams, and even a few ribs had gotten pushed aside. With them now pushed aside, she could see that she would fit if she squeezed herself into a ball.

The Purple Guy walked over to her, forcibly grabbing her forearm. She yelped as she yanked upwards onto her feet. For a split second, Susie almost lost her balance. Thankfully, she managed to regain it back and keep herself from falling. But the sudden action of standing on her ankle caused it to sprain.

“Get in, now!” barked the Purple Guy, clearly having lost all patience to deal with her.

She jumped into the animatronic, her chest landing on some of the gears. Groaning in pain, she forced her injured knee into the animatronic. She did her best not to scream as she bent it, but the motion caused her cut to open, making more blood pour from the wound. As the cut scraped across the metal and wires, she saw there was a trail of blood left behind. Finally, after she moved her knee, she started to stand up. Using the surrounding bars for support, she stood up inside of the animatronic.

“What are you going to do?” asked Susie as she looked at the Purple Guy.

“Nothing. I am going to let the animatronic handle the...messy stuff. Now, turn around.” replied the Purple Guy.

She turned around, and her face lined up with the facial area of the animatronic. Just as she had gotten herself situated, she heard several clicks before she felt the gears, metal, and assorted wires slam in on her. As the metal gears tore into her skin, she felt it ripping off her muscles. With the gears exposing her muscles, the wires sliced through the soft tissues on their way down to her bones. In an attempt to get away from the apparatus, Susie shifted her position. But that movement only resulted in one of the gears digging down to her bone, shattering it. She let out a terrified scream as the pain increased.

With the gears and wires now settled into place, she could feel her blood running down her arms and legs, lubricating the gears and joints. The amount of blood she was losing was starting to cause her to feel faint. But she was still aware enough to notice that the ribs of the animatronic were closing in around her. Ever so slowly, the metal ribs started to push against her shoulders and wrists. As the pressure increased, she felt the metal break her wrists as she fought feebly to keep them from crushing her. Another scream escaped from her throat as the metal bars broke her shoulders.

By now, the wires had started to cut off blood flow in certain areas while increasing it in others. Susie couldn’t feel her left arm or leg due to the circulation getting cut off for so long. Her right side faired a bit better as she could still barely feel her right arm. She slowly blinked as she saw her vision blur and darken as more of her blood pooled at the bottom of the animatronic.

Just as she was starting to slip into unconsciousness, she heard a clicking sound followed by several beams that shoved themselves inside her already weakened body. One beam shoved itself deep into her gut, pushing her intestinal tract outside of her body. A series of groans slipped from her lips as two poles shoved themselves into her kneecaps, shattering them in the process of pushing out the other side. There was another beam that managed to find its way through her left arm, ripping off her forearm tendon by tendon and leaving her elbow joint intact and exposed. A river of blood poured from the open injury and the loss of the lower limb.

As all the wires, gears, ribs, and metal bars had finally slowed their progression into her body, she heard the Purple Guy move behind her. If she could, she would’ve turned around to see what he was doing. But all she could do was stand there, hoping that death would come quickly.

“Good...bye…” uttered Susie just before her skull had gotten forcibly smashed into the facial plate of the animatronic.

As her body went limp, her chest fell forward onto the bars and beams in front of her. That resulted in more blood streaming from her open chest wound. With her body oozing blood form about every orifice possible, she felt her strength seeping. The last thing she saw was a dark room with no one but her and her now-dead friends. No one nearby to save her or her friends from the horrible death that was getting forced upon them. One...last...breath was forced out as Susie's lungs used the last remaining strength in her body.

*** *** *** ***

Sunset Shimmer was immediately brought back to consciousness as she pushed out of Chica’s memories. But just as she was beginning to regain her balance, she felt something hit her, sending her flying towards a wall. Her back slammed hard against a brick wall behind her, knocking the air from her lungs. Simultaneously, her head hit the wall in sync with her back. Slowly, her back scraped across the bricks as she slid downward, unable to support herself. Groaning, she looked up as she saw Chica’s wing lowering.

“Sunset!” shouted the girls as they ran over to their friend.

As the girls got closer, Fluttershy walked over to where their friend was sitting. “Sunset, are you okay?” asked Fluttershy, holding her hand out for Sunset.

Blinking, Sunset Shimmer looked at Fluttershy. Her vision was a bit blurry around the edges, making her think she had suffered a small concussion. Aside from her blurry vision, her head was also pounding. Most likely from her slamming it into the wall behind her. She closed her eyes for a moment, easing the growing headache.

“Y-yeah, I think...so., replied Sunset, taking Fluttershy’s outstretched hand and standing up, leaning against the wall with her other one as she felt dizzy from the sudden movement.

Meanwhile, Twilight Sparkle collapsed to the ground as her magic faded out, releasing Chica from the grasp. As she felt her body fall onto the cold pavement, the girls – except Sunset – ran up to her. With blurring vision, she watched as the redhead stood where she was. She knew why she had chosen to stay there – more than she was willing to admit, especially to herself. As she struggled to remain conscious, her body fought against her.

Sunset Shimmer wanted to be there, to be by Twilight’s side, but she couldn’t. Twilight Sparkle had made it very clear that she didn’t want her close. Not unless she was willing to be honest about her past. To let her in on the dark chapter that hung over her head. She knew that she deserved the truth, to know that she wasn’t alone. Yet, she was still struggling with letting her close. Even if it meant she was hurt by Twilight’s pushing her to the outside. Behind her, she heard a high pitched squeaking noise. She turned around to see that Chica was starting to move.

“Susie? Are you okay?” asked Sunset, running over to the animatronic chicken.

*** *** *** ***

While that was happening, Springtrap hid behind a corner near where the girls were. He had been patiently watching the girls restrain the animatronic while their redheaded friend did the same thing she had done to the other one. When he heard the name Susie, something clicked in his head. Looking down at the ground, he tried to remember where he had heard the name before.

“Wait a minute, does she mean...Susie? The little fucker whose leg I messed up?!” thought Springtrap. “They can’t be bringing these children back, can they?”

“W-who are you?” asked Susie, finally taking control of the animatronic. “Wh-where am I?”

“Shit, they are. But how?” asked Springtrap in his head.

As he looked at the girls, he noticed that there were some...changes going on with Twilight Sparkle. He saw what appeared to be small splotches of dark purple spots on her one arm. And from where he was, he could see that it was slowly spreading down her arm, covering her lavender skin tone. But that wasn’t the only change that appeared to be happening to their friend either. It seemed there was a pair of wings starting to protrude from her shoulder blades.

“Well, well, well, it seems those school bitches have a few problems of their own.” thought Springtrap gleefully.

He glanced over at Sunset Shimmer, noticing that she wasn’t around Twilight. Having seen the two girls fighting the previous day, he was aware that there were problems between them. Or at least, it appeared to be that way. If that was the case, he could use the cracks in their friendship to distract the girls. But for now, he figured that it was safer if they weren’t aware of his presence. Not yet, anyway. The time would come when it came.

Ducking behind the corner he was hiding behind, he started to walk back to the electrical building. He knew that he needed to come up with a way to prevent them from finding the rest of the animatronics. To keep them from bringing back the annoying kids. Dealing with the brats once was bad enough. Then having to return to dismantle the animatronics they inhabited was a headache all its own. He hadn’t managed to succeed in that task. It was because of his attempt to dismantle the animatronics that landed him in one himself.

“I will get my revenge on those kids, even if the girls get involved…”

*** *** *** ***

Applejack knelt next to Twilight Sparkle, resting her hand on her shoulder. It felt icy cold like her body had lost all warmth and was dead. She eyed Twilight, hoping to see any signs that she was still alive. Luckily, she got her answer in the form of Twilight blinking. She sighed with relief, but it didn’t last long. A spark of magic flew from Twilight’s geode, causing her to step back. The rest of the girls followed suit as more sparks flew from her geode, landing on the ground in front of her.

“Susie, I am Sun-”

Sunset Shimmer had gotten cut off as she felt Applejack’s boot bump into her leg, causing her to look away from Susie. What she saw was Twilight’s skin slowly darkening, becoming the same color as it was when she had become Midnight Sparkle. She covered her mouth in shock at what she was witnessing. To see her friend being affected by equestrian magic again was something she wished she didn’t notice, especially when she knew the effect it had on her.

Twilight Sparkle sat up slowly, the blurriness fading from her vision. There was a mild stinging sensation running up her arm, prompting her to look down. As she watched, she saw that her arm was completely dark purple, contrasting with her other arm, which was starting to show the same splotches that turned her one arm dark purple.

“What the-? No…” whispered Twilight, running a hand along her arm.

As Twilight Sparkle spoke, she felt a searing pain, almost like a hot iron was getting pressed to her gums. Her canine teeth specifically started to hurt more and more. Raising her hand to her teeth, she felt them become sharper until they were elongated fangs. The feeling of the sharp points on her fingertips made her yank her hand away.

“No, it can’t be. That’s not possible…” Twilight muttered as she stared down at her hand.

Her vision became blurry once more as her eyes started to change. The whites of her eyes slowly became a pale grey. Continuing, the change spread to her irises, changing from a violet color to mulberry. She regained her vision as the transformation moved from her eyes. Once she was able to see again, she examined her clothes. To her surprise, she saw that they had remained untouched, unlike the last time she had transformed into Midnight Sparkle. Wanting to see if her glasses remained, she reached up. When she felt the frames of her cat-eye glasses, she was grateful that they hadn’t erupted into flames.

Suddenly, a wave of intense heat hit her shoulder blades. The pain was comparable to an open flame getting held to her skin. It was soon followed by a stinging and pinching sensation which spread throughout her back. She reached behind her, touching the edge of her shoulder blade. Through her shirt, she could feel the heat radiating off her body. As she slowly moved her hand down, a dark purple, feathered wing sprouted from her shoulder blade, ripping her shirt as it extended outwards. Seconds later, the other one appeared as well, causing another rip.

Tentatively, Twilight Sparkle reached a hand towards one of the two wings. As her fingertips brushed against the feathers, she could feel the touch. That took her by surprise, making her pull her hand away immediately.

“They’re really attached...to me…”

The words fell from her lips, yet she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. When she felt her wings pull behind her, she yelped as a few feathers brushed against her skin. It was so foreign to feel her own feathers against her skin. But just as she had gotten lost in the sensation of having feathers, she felt something sprout from her tail bone. Looking behind her, she saw it was a tail that matched her hair color, down to the magenta streak. Curious, she attempted to flick her tail as a horse’s would. Unsurprisingly, it responded to the command, brushing against the pavement.

Feeling that her transformation had finished, she pushed herself up to her knees. She attempted to stand, but once she was fully upright, the full weight of her wings caused her to lose her balance. She was sent back to the ground, her knees and elbows scraping along the pavement. Her body ached, struggling to recover from the transformation. Blinking, she turned to face her friends.

Sunset Shimmer gasped quietly, covering her mouth as she saw Twilight’s eyes. They were mulberry, their violet color having disappeared during the transformation. She didn’t know what shocked her more, the two giant wings that had sprouted from her friend’s shoulder blades. Or the fact that her friend no longer looked like her friend anymore. She looked like Midnight Sparkle, yet she didn’t at the same time. It was like the transformation just transferred some traits of Twilight’s she-demon form to her natural look.

Applejack and the rest of the girls backed away from their friend as she looked at them. Their eyes were wide with fear, not sure if they could trust their friend anymore. They all stared at her, like a deer in the headlights. Like Sunset Shimmer, they couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed. Especially after the events that occurred at the Friendship Games and the Fall Formal. The cowgirl felt Rarity grip her arm tightly as she stepped closer to her. That prompted her to rest a hand over the fashionista’s in a comforting gesture.

“Sunset is that…” Applejack couldn’t look at Twilight Sparkle as she struggled to ask the question.

“Midnight Sparkle?” I-I...don’t know, AJ.” replied Sunset Shimmer, stepping back from Twilight as she mentioned the name of her demon form.

Twilight Sparkle moaned as she pushed herself back to a sitting position. Her knees and elbows throbbed from the impact against the pavement. But she didn’t care about the physical pain her body was feeling. She was more focused on why something seemed off about her friends. Earlier, they had been around her, but when her geode malfunctioned, they backed away. But why? As her wings draped themselves over her shoulder, she understood why they had backed away.

“They backed away because I transformed...into Midnight Sparkle.” thought Twilight as she glanced down at her hands. “Are they...afraid?”

“Yeah, probably. You now look like a she-demon, so the girls most likely think you are Midnight Sparkle,” said Twilight’s inner voice.

“Midnight Sparkle?” asked Twilight.

“Yep. The girls think you have completely become Midnight Sparkle, that you are no longer you,” replied Twilight Sparkle's inner voice.

“But I am not Midnight Sparkle. I am me, Twilight Sparkle,” said Twilight, not wanting to believe that her friends would think that way about her.

“Well, convince them that you’re not Midnight Sparkle, but do it carefully.” Her inner voice said, warning her.

As she glanced up from her hands, she met Sunset Shimmer’s eyes from a moment. She could see a growing fear in her cyan eyes. That hurt to see it, but she understood why it was there. After all, she had transformed back into Midnight Sparkle right in front of her. It made sense that she didn’t know whether or not that she could trust her. Yet, as much as she understood Sunset’s reason for being wary of her, she couldn’t help but feel the blow of realizing she feared her. Combined with the fact that she knew she was hiding something, something that could be very similar to her experience, it only stung more.

Sunset Shimmer looked at Twilight’s fear-stricken eyes. It pained her to see her friend look so frightened. Though, she knew that she wasn’t making the situation any better. She knew that Twilight Sparkle could see the fear that she was terrible at hiding. That made her look away as she remembered how the girls had reacted at the Fall Formal. They were afraid of her as well. Now, here she was, doing the same thing to her friend. It didn’t feel right to her.

“It’s not right. You should be helping Twilight, not acting like Twilight is someone not to trust.” Sunset’s inner voice chirped.

“But what if she is actually Midnight Sparkle?” asked Sunset, glancing briefly at Twilight.

“If that was the case, why would you still refer to her as your friend? You know as well as I that she is still Twilight.” said her inner voice. “So, do the right thing and support her.”

Sunset Shimmer swallowed, her throat clenching tight as she struggled to push past her doubt. She knew her conscience was right – she had to do the right thing and support Twilight. Not give in to her fear and leave her with no one. With renewed strength, she forced herself to look up and meet Twilight’s gaze.

“Mid-Twilight?” asked Sunset, correcting herself as she asked the question that was on everyone’s mind.

Author's Note

I hope everyone has a great V-Day if you like celebrating it. And if you don't I still hope your day is awesome! Enjoy the chapter.